Cannabis farmer finally caught out

A man has been jailed for five years after his “sophisticated” drug enterprise was smashed by a police raid on a two-kilo cannabis grow.

Brett Milner, 45, was finally caught after officers found 76 cannabis plants in a caravan parked in the back yard of a cottage near Malton.

Inside the cottage, where Milner had been living temporarily, officers found weighing scales and several jars of dried cannabis weighing 77g. They also found a mobile phone with thousands of text messages linked to drug deals.

Milner, of Milner Road, Bridlington, was arrested along with 25-year-old Jamie Craven, who was a tenant at the cottage and had been tending the plants for his co-accused, who gave him free cannabis in return.

Milner, a self-proclaimed musical engineer, was charged with producing cannabis between January and February last year, and being concerned in making an offer to supply a Class B drug between October 2014 and February 2015. Craven was charged with cannabis cultivation and possessing a Class B drug with intent to supply.

Craven, now of Ash Grove, Filey, admitted the offences but Milner denied any responsibility.

Prosecutor Laurie Scott said police raided the property at White House Cottages, Foxholes, on February 25 last year, when they found the 76 plants along with bottles of fertiliser and a heater.

She said that if the plants had matured and been harvested, they would have yielded about 2kg of cannabis worth several thousand pounds.

The court heard he had roped Craven into “safe-housing” the plants and dried cannabis with the promise of free cannabis.

Milner was jailed for five years and Craven was handed a 19-month jail sentence, suspended for two years. Craven was also ordered to carry out 180 hours’ unpaid work.